Weft thread restrainer



May 6, 1969 J. s. CA LLAHAN WEFT THREAD RESTRAINER Filed Aug. 7, 1967 U05 6. CAL LAHAN INVENTOR.

United States Patent 3,442,299 WEFT THREAD RESTRAINER Joe S. Callahan, 496 Rose Lane, Raleigh, N.C. 27610 Filed Aug. 7, 1967, Ser. No. 658,862 Int. Cl. D03d 43/10 U.S. Cl. 139-1703 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE In abstract, a preferred embodiment of this invention is a Weft thread restraining device using an elastomer member to prevent the idle threads of a multiple shuttle box loom from becoming entangled in the selvage of the cloth being woven.

This invention relates to weft thread restraining devices and more particularly to means for preventing the loosely trailing threads or filling ends from the inactive shuttles of a multishuttle loom from being caught by the active shuttle and accidentally jerked into the selvage of the cloth or fabric being produced.

Since the advent of the multishuttle loom having a shuttle box which shifts up and down to place the active shuttle adjacent the race plate, problems have been encountered with the loosely hanging threads from the inactive shuttles being drawn by the active shuttle into the fabric thereby producing imperfections which either greatly reduce or completely destroy the commercial value of the textile product being woven.

To overcome and eliminate the above mentioned problem, various devices have been devised such as blowers, vacuum devices and extremely complicated mechanical systems. All of these various devices, however, have been expensive to manufacture and install and have required in most instances special electrical and air or vacuum sources to be installed prior to their operation. Even with these elaborate systems in operation, their efficiency has been questionable at best with frequent, time consuming cleaning and adjustments being necessary to assure with any certainty their proper operation.

The present invention has been developed after much study and research into the above mentioned problems encountered by the prior art devices and is designed to allow, for all practical purposes, maintenance free operation of the loom over long periods of time without the loose weft threads becoming entangled in the fabric being woven. The present invention is also designed to be inexpensive to produce and install on existing looms without expensive modifications being required. Due to this simplicity in construction, installation and operation, stoppages of the loom adjustments in the weft thread restrainer has been reduced practically to the point of elimination.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a means for holding the weft threads of the inactive shuttles of a multiple shuttle box loom away from the area of travel of the active shuttle.

Another object of the present invention is to provide means for preventing accidental jerking in of the loose weft threads into the selvage of the fabric being woven by the loom.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a simple mechanical means for maintaining the filling ends of the inactive shuttles of a multishuttle loom separate from the active shuttle.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a weft thread restrainer composed of an easily replaceable elastomer member which releasably grips the threads between itself and a relatively rigid member.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent and obvious from a study of the following description and the accompanying drawings which are merely illustrative of the present invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective of a preferred embodiment of the present invention in operative relation to the shuttle box and race plate of a multiple shuttle loom;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the end assembly supporting the elastomer member; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged transverse section through said elastomer member showing a weft thread gripped in restraining position.

With further reference to the drawings, FIG. 1 depicts in generally schematic form the basic parts of a conventional multibox loom which are necessary to understand the present invention. As is readly apparent, structure not necessary to the understanding of this invention are, in the interest of clarity, not included herein.

In detail, the conventional multishuttle box type loom indicated generally at 10 includes an elongated lay 11 and its associated race plate 12, an elongated reed cap 13 and a plurality of dents formed by the wires of reed 14 extending from said lay 11 to reed cap 13.

conventionally located adjacent the race plate '12, which has been cut away for clarity, is the shuttle box 15 containing a multiplicity of shuttles .16. This box is adapted to move up and down in a reciprocating manner by means (not shown) to effect a predetermined pattern in fabric 17. This fabric, of course, is formed from warp threads 18 which pass through the dents formed by the wires of reed 14 and are controlled by standard heddles and associated harness (neither of which are shown) and weft threads 19 which are carried by shuttles 16.

The device of the present invention is composed of a base plate 20 secured by means such as bolts 21 to any convenient portion 22 of loom 10 so that such base plate will remain in relative fixed relationship to race plate 12. A pair of guides 23 are provided which are secured at their facing ends to base plate 20 by means such as machine screws 24. Adjustment lugs 25, which are threaded at one end, pass through an opening (not shown) at the extreme ends of guide members 23 to adjustably attach to threaded openings in base plate 20. Thus it can be readily seen that by rotating lug 25 the distance between its outermost end 26 and plate 20 may be adjusted. To lock lug 25 in relative fixed position and to firmly hold guides 23 to base plate 20, nuts 27 may be screwed down snugly against such guides.

Transverse to the longitudinal axis of lug 25, in end portion 26, is a threaded opening 28 which is adapted to receive bolt 29. This bolt is adapted to freely pass through square bearing plate 30, which lies adjacent shoulder 31 of lug 25, thereby preventing such plate from a tendency to rotate when bolt 29 is tightened.

A pair of generally L-shaped bearing rods 32 are provided with one end of each being inserted into its respective smooth bore opening in base plate 20. The other end of each of the rods is adapted to be gripped between end portion 26 and bearing plate 30 and is securely held therebetween by the tightening of bolt 29. As can be clearly seen from FIG. 1, the end of rod 32 projects beyond portion 26 and plate 30 thereby allowing the open end portion of elastomer anchor 33 to be placed thereover.

It has been found in actual practice that if the elastomer member 34 is permanently oriented in a silghtly concave shape in lateral cross section toward bearingrod32, its restraining ability on weft threads 19 will be more efiicient as will be hereinafter described.

To assure that elastomer member 34 will lie juxtaposed to and in contactive relation with bearing rod 32, any

convenient holding means such as an adjustable clamp, tying means or adhesive coated tape 35 may be used.

Operation In actual use of the thread restrainer of the present invention, base plate 20 is connected to portion 22 of the loom and the guides 23 are assembled as hereinabove described. To assure that the bearing rods 32 lie juxtaposed to elastomer member 34, bolt 29 may be loosened along with nut 27 to permit lug 25 to be rotated within the threaded opening of base plate 20 thereby allowing adjustment in the distance between said base plate and the end of bearing rod 32 adjacent lug portion 26. Thus it can be readily seen that the portion of bearing rods 32 lying juxtaposed to the elastomer member may be adjusted to a point that they lie parallel to each other thereby assuring a gripping action on the weft threads '19 all along the juxtaposed area.

Once the proper adjustments have been made in the restraining device, the loom may be placed in operation with the shuttles 16 in box passing across race plate 12 and returning in the conventional predetermined manner. It is obvious, particularly from FIG. 1, that if next to the bottom shuttle 16 is raised into alignment with race plate 12, the two shuttles thereabove with their weft threads or filling ends going to the edge of the fabric 17 will have such threads drawn between the elastomer member 34 and bearing rod 32. Likewise, if the shuttle now moves downwardly one shuttle width, the lower shuttles filling end, which is already engaged by the restraining device, will be held while the filling end of the next to the bottom shuttle will likewise be pulled into friction engagement between the elastomer member and lower bearing rod due to the downward movement of the shuttle box. This downward movement would also tend to release the next to the top shuttles thread which would be in line with race plate 12. Since the gripping of the weft threads is only enough to prevent them from being entangled with the active shuttle, once this new shuttle is in line with the race plate and begins its travel, if the thread is not alrwdy released, it may easily pull such filament from the restraining device since the same does not have enough tension to impede the shuttles travel or break or otherwise damage the thread carried thereby.

Obviously when the loom is operated in its conventional programmed manner, varying movement of the shuttle box 15 will occur from that above exemplified; however, the principal of operation will be the same.

Since there is very little wear during actual operation of the restraining device of the present invention, hardening of the elastomer member 34 due to age will dictate when the same must be replaced. Other than this very seldom occurrence, no other maintenance, power source or auxiliary equipment is necessary.

It is obvious that the present invention has the advantage of being simpler to manufacture and install, requires less and simpler adjustments prior to being put into operation, requires no outside or auxiliary power sources for proper operation, and is for all practical purposes maintenance free over long periods of time. Thus it can be seen that the present invention accomplishes the same end result attempted by the prior art devices in a much simpler and inexpensive manner with better results than has here-- inbefore been possible.

The present invention may, of course, be carried out in other specific ways than those herein set'forth without departing from the spirit and essential characteristics of the invention. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive and all changes coming within the meaning and equivalency ranges of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed is:

1. In a thread restraining device for a multiple shuttle box loom having a race plate across which the shuttles carrying their respective weft threads are adapted to alternately travel in predetermined sequences, the improvement comprising: at least one bearing rod means disposed adjacent one side of said race plate generally perpendicularly to the plane in which such plate lies; and an elastomer means juxtaposed to said rod means along at least a portion of its length whereby the weft threads of the inactive shuttles may be restrained in contactive relationship between said bearing rod means and said elastomer means to prevent said threads from being jerked by the active shuttle into the selvage of the fabric being woven.

2. The weft thread restrainer of claim 1 wherein adjustment means are provided to assure proper contactive relationship between the elastomer means and the bearing rod means.

3. The restraining device of claim 2 wherein bearing rod means are provided on both sides of the path of travel of the active shuttle with the elastomer means juxtaposed to each.

4. The restraining device of claim 3 wherein the elastomer means is a single member extending from one bearing rod means to the other.

5. The restraining device of claim 4 wherein the elastomer means is an elongated band which is concave in lateral cross section.

6. In a thread restraining device for a multiple shuttle box loom having a race plate across which a series of shuttles carrying their respective weft threads are adapted to alternately travel in predetermined sequences to weave a fabric, the improvement comprising: a first bearing rod means disposed adjacent the side of said race plate toward said fabric in a .downwardly direction generally perpendicular to the plane in which said plate lies; a second bearing rod disposed in longitudinal alignment wtih said first rod adjacent to and extending above the path of travel of the active shuttle of said loom; an elongated elastomer member being concave in lateral cross section attached at its ends to the extremities of the two bearing rods whereby said elastomer member will lie parallel to and in contactive relationship with said bearing rods; and adjustment means operatively connected between a portion of said loom and each of said rods whereby the relationship between said elastomer member and said rods may maintained.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 74,938 2/1868 Quinn l39170.6 543,629 7/ 1895 Nolan et al 139l70.3 2,336,118 2/ 1943 Muheim 139170.6 2,603,243 7/ 1952 Hamilton et al 139170.3 2,650,622 9/1953 Leard 139170.6

JAMES KEE CHI, Primary Examiner. 

